2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day.

Today’s gem is a nod to the unmatchable value of proper mourning.

One interrupts his Torah study to carry out the dead for burial and to escort a bride to her wedding. They said about Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Elai, that he would interrupt his Torah study to carry out the dead for burial and to escort a bride to her wedding. The Gemara qualifies this ruling: In what case is this statement said? Only where there are not sufficient numbers of other people available to perform these mitzvot and honor the deceased or the bride appropriately. However, when there are sufficient numbers, additional people should not interrupt their Torah study to participate.

And how many people are considered sufficient? Rav Shmuel bar Inya said in the name of Rav: Twelve thousand men and another six thousand men to blow horns as a sign of mourning. And some say a different version: Twelve thousand men, among whom are six thousand men with horns. Ulla said: For example, enough to make a procession of people all the way from the town gate [abbula] to the place of burial.

Rav Sheshet said: As the Torah was given, so it should be taken away, i.e., the same honor that was provided when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai should be provided when the Torah is taken through the passing away of a Torah scholar. Just as the Torah was given in the presence of six hundred thousand men, so too its taking should be done in the presence of six hundred thousand men. The Gemara comments: This applies to someone who read the Bible and studied halakhot for himself. But for someone who taught others, there is no limit to the honor that should be shown to him.

We all know Judaism has rituals to deal with grief. These rituals are there for a reason. They are there so we find ourselves surrounded by loved ones. They are there so we confront and see the loss as real. And they are there so we can process and grieve each loss, and help to stop the accumulation of grief-  To teach us resilience, and break ourselves out of numbness or the inability to function. 

How many are a sufficient number of people so that I am not obligated to join in the mourning? 18,000? 12,000? 600,000? When we lose someone, we know, there is no number high enough. That the whole world does not stop is an affront to our souls.

During this time of Covid, our mourning rituals have been interrupted and truncated. This is not allowing us to mourn, to process our grief, to honor our dead or to comfort he mourners.

This image painted by the daf is one where the world stops. All give honor to the dead. And this, honoring God’s image as embodied by the deceased, is greater than Torah study – it’s living Torah.

The bulk of today daf recounts how various sages were rewarded with long life for being meticulous in regards to certain mitzvot.

Yesterday we heard R. Zakai attributed his long life to never urinating within 4 amot of praying, never using a nickname, and always making kiddish over Shabbat.

R. Elazar ben Shamu’a attributed his long life to never using the synagogue as a short-cut, never stepping over a Talmud student, and never saying the Priestly benediction without saying a blessing first.

R. Freida attributed his long life to being the first to the Study House, always giving the honor of reciting the blessing at meals to a Cohen if one was present, and never eating from an animal before the Priestly portions were separated.

R. Nechunya ben Hakanah attributed his long life to (and this is my gem): In all my days, I never attained veneration at the expense of my fellow’s degradation. Nor did my fellow’s curse ever go up with me upon my bed. If ever I offended someone, I made sure to appease him that day. Therefore, when I went to bed I knew that no one had any grievances against me. And I was always openhanded with my money.

Gorgeous! Don’t put someone down to lift yourself up. Don’t let things go without apology. And be generous and openhanded. Yes! But there are more long living sages . . .

R. Nechunya attributed his long life to never taking gifts, never taking vengeance, and being openhanded with money.

R. Yehoshua ben Korchah attributed his long life to the fact that he never looked at an evil person.

R. Zeira attributed his long life to never being demanding in his house; he never walked in front of someone greater than himself; he didn’t think of Torah where there was a bad smell; he didn’t walk four Amos without Torah and Tefilin; he never slept in a House of Study, he didn’t rejoice at the stumbling of a colleague; he never called someone by his nickname or family nickname.

What’s the message? I believe that each of these practices deserves it’s own praise – but the daf is more about acting with integrity. If you believe something is the wrong thing (or right thing) then live accordingly. These Sages were rewarded because they were consistent with their values and behaviors.

What are the values and behaviors you are passionate about? That define you?

Today’s daf is certainly interesting. It discussing urinating where you pray (but wait the amount of time it would take to walk 4 cubits) and it tells some interesting stories about what mitzvot certain rabbis were meticulous about in order to be rewarded with long life. (This continues on to tomorrows daf.)

But before that, the daf continues it’s discussion of selling items of sanctity. We already learned that we cannot sell and item of higher sanctity to purchase something of lower sanctity. So, what is of higher sanctity that a Torah!? Is there anything that it can be sold for? We learn that some rabbis do not even permit selling a Torah to purchase a newer Torah! It’s within the discussion of if a Torah can be sold to purchase a Torah that we find today’s gem:

Come and hear a resolution to this dilemma from a baraita: As Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Meir: A Torah scroll may be sold only if the seller needs the money in order to study Torah or to marry a woman.

I love this. What is more holy than the Torah? Studying the contents of the Torah. The Torah is not something to be gazed at and admired! It is something to be studied and lived! What else is more holy than Torah? Love and marriage. The first thing God commands Adam and Eve is to be fruitful and multiply. Having children is a sacred act, a hopeful act, a holy act.

I love these gems.

But apparently they still might not answer the question of if a Torah can be sold for the purchase of another Torah. The Gemara explains:

Learn from this baraita that exchanging one entity of Torah, i.e., a Torah scroll, for another entity of Torah, i.e., Torah study, seems well, and by extension, it should be permitted to sell one Torah scroll to purchase another. The Gemara rejects the proof: Perhaps Torah study is different, as the study of Torah leads to action, i.e., the fulfillment of the mitzvot, and perhaps it is only due to its great importance of Torah study that it is permitted to sell a Torah scroll for it. Similarly, marrying a woman is also of utmost importance, as it is stated with regard to Creation: “He created it not a waste; He formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18). This indicates that marrying and having children fulfills a primary goal of Creation. But selling an old Torah in order to buy a new Torah might not be permitted.

Now go and study (or get married). Shabbat Shalom.

Today’s lesson – if you want something, make it be known and go for it.

The Mishnah teaches that you cannot sell something of higher sanctity in order to purchase something of lower sanctity (for example, I cannot sell a Torah scroll to purchase tefillin). The question then turns to selling pieces of land or buildings that belong to the community. A debate ensues about whether homes in Jerusalem belong to their owners or to the entire nation – this depends on if you think Jerusalem was apportioned to the tribes (and therefore you can sell) or not (and you cannot sell).

The Gemara notes: They each follow a different opinion in the dispute between these tanna’im:

One tanna holds that Jerusalem was apportioned to the tribes, as it is taught in a baraita: What part of the Temple was in the tribal portion of Judah? The Temple mount, the Temple chambers, and the Temple courtyards. And what was in the tribal portion of Benjamin? The Entrance Hall, the Sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies.

The gem comes in the why – why these places were awarded to Benjamin.

And a strip of land issued forth from the portion of Judah and entered into the portion of Benjamin, and upon that strip the altar was built, and the tribe of Benjamin, the righteous, would agonize over it every day desiring to absorb it into its portion, due to its unique sanctity, as it is stated in Moses’ blessing to Benjamin: “He covers it throughout the day, and he dwells between his shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12). The phrase “covers it” is understood to mean that Benjamin is continually focused upon that site, or hovered over it. Therefore, Benjamin was privileged by becoming the host [ushpizekhan] of the Divine Presence, as the Holy of Holies was built in his portion.

And this other tanna holds that Jerusalem was not apportioned to the tribes, as it is taught in a baraita: One may not rent out houses in Jerusalem, due to the fact that the houses do not belong to those occupying them. Rather, as is true for the entire city, they are owned collectively by the nation.

This interesting piece of law gives us a great story about Benjamin. You may have thought that every tribe would have wanted the Holy of Holies to be in their piece of land, after all, this is the closest you can get to God’s presence. We will never know what they wanted, perhaps they did but thought it was useless to even try, perhaps they didn’t. But Benjamin let it be known that, more than anything, this is what he wanted and so he got it.

We often don’t put our full efforts into going for something we want. Perhaps we have fear of rejection, perhaps we think it’s a long shot, perhaps we think it should just be given to us and we shouldn’t have to work for it. But in life, you really need to work for what you want. A huge skill is learning to ask for what you want. What’s the worst that could happen? You get a no, that puts you right where you already are. But now there is also the possibility of a yes.

Be like Benjamin. Shoot your shot.

Today’s gem is a famous statement about free will. Theologians have been asking for centuries: How can God be all powerful and all knowing while human’s still having the freedom to choose their own paths and actions? Rabbi Hanina gives us an interesting answer:

Rabbi Ḥanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven. Man has free will to serve God or not, as it is stated: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you other than to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 10:12). The fact that God asks man to fear Him indicates that it is in man’s ability to do so.

R. Hanina answers this age old question by setting limits to God’s power. Saying God controls everything except our willingness to obey or disobey. This means we have complete freedom of choice. “Fear of heaven” means fear of God, really believing that there is a Being beyond and above you who knows your actions and who wants you to do the right thing. It’s fearing disappointing God. Fearing the consequences. If we really have Fear of Heaven, we will follow God’s commandments.

I love this teaching because it really deals with reality. The reality is that people choose to do horrible things to one another and often they don’t suffer the consequences. Clearly, people have free will. But then we have to wonder where is God in this? Hanina acknowledges that God has given us the Torah and rules to follow. If we do follow these rules, we will not only be living in accordance with God’s will, we will be kind to one another, have a happy society where all the vulnerable are taken care of, a place of peace and justice and brotherhood. The blueprint is right there! If we want good lives, a good society, we have a path – but it’s up to us to take it. And when we only think about ourselves, and don’t put anything above our own happiness (like God, or community, or future generations), don’t fear the consequences of our actions – then society falls apart, the planet is degraded, and humanity is less humane.

What is the difference between seeing and being seen? Today’s daf has a bit of an argument about if a blind person can lead the prayer for praise of light (creation) since they do not derive benefit from light. But we soon learn, that even the blind derive benefit from light. . .

And the Rabbis maintain that even a blind man derives benefit from the luminaries, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei said: All of my life I was troubled by this verse, which I did not understand: “And you shall grope at noon as the blind man gropes in the darkness” (Deuteronomy 28:29). I was perplexed: What does it matter to a blind person whether it is dark or light? He cannot see in any event, so why does the verse speak about a blind man in the darkness? I continued to ponder the matter until the following incident occurred to me. I was once walking in the absolute darkness of the night, and I saw a blind man who was walking on his way with a torch in his hands. I said to him: My son, why do you need this torch if you are blind? He said to me: As long as I have a torch in my hand, people see me and save me from the pits and the thorns and the thistles. Even a blind man derives at least indirect benefit from the light, and therefore he may recite the blessing over the heavenly luminaries.

I absolutely love this. Here we see the importance of being seen, and for those who see, acting. We are all blind to so many of our faults and so many stumbling blocks in our path. So many times we are about to walk into a metaphorical pit and need someone else to help us navigate our path.

We also are often blind to our blessings, and need someone to point them out to us.

This text is beautiful in its plain meaning and its extensions. In what areas are you blind?

Here is a video from Charlie Kramer. It’s the blessing we say in the morning for God opening the eyes of the blind. Charlie is going blind. But the song is for us all and all of our blind spots:

There is a general principle in Jewish law which is not to be a burden on the community – tircha d’tzibbur. No, this does not mean someone milking the system – it’s a rule in reference to the length of a service, in what we ask of people – we should not ask of them to do, or be in services, more than they can bear. We should not let these things be a burden. That is the focus of a good chunk of today’s daf as it continues to discuss how many lines of Torah we need to read on each day, and how many lines of haftarah, depending on the reason we are gathered (is it a festival, market day, High Holiday, Shabbat?). How do we determine how many alliyot? A piece of our gem:

The Gemara asks: Who is the tanna who taught that which is taught in a baraita: On a Festival, one is slow to arrive at the synagogue because one is busy preparing for the festive meal, and one is quick to leave in order to eat; on Yom Kippur, one is quick to arrive at the synagogue and slow to leave; and on Shabbat, one is quick to arrive, as the meal has been prepared before Shabbat, and quick to leave in order to eat the Shabbat meal?

I love this. The baraita cited here explains the number of aliyot for each occasion. On festivals people come late and leave early. Why? They’re busy cooking before services and then want to get home to eat! So, only 5 alliyot. On Yom Kippur, you can’t eat, nor can you make food, so you really are fine to spend the whole day in services (that’s why I think it’s actually easier sometimes to be the rabbi – no distractions and no time to think about hunger). So, 7 alliyot. But on Shabbat, you can’t cook, but you can eat – so you come early but want to leave early. So, 6 alliyot.
Another opinion is given. Rabbi Ishmael notes that Yom Kippur the service is quite long already and you don’t want to over burden everyone, therefore there are only six aliyot. On Shabbat, the service is shorter and therefore they can have one more aliyah without the overall length becoming too problematic. So, seven. (This is the rule at the end of the day.)

But it’s not just Torah, but Haftarah should not be too long as well! Less it become a burden.

It was stated previously that the Haftarah should be 21 verses (as when you read 7 alliyot on Shabbat, with each alliyah being 3 verses, you get 21, and Haftarah should be the same length as Torah according to their reasoning. This is before alliyot and haftarah portions were differentiated for each Shabbat).

The Gemara asks: But is it true that where the topic is not completed, we do not read fewer than twenty-one verses? Didn’t Rav Shmuel bar Abba say: Many times I stood before Rabbi Yoḥanan as a translator, and when we had read ten verses he would say to us: Stop. So, we are learning from an example by a Halakhic authority, that it might be okay to only read 10 verses. This indicates that a haftara need not be twenty-one verses. The Gemara answers: In a place where there is a translator, who translates each verse into Aramaic and adds additional explanation, it is different. In that case, it is not necessary for the haftara to consist of twenty-one verses, so as not to overburden the congregation, as Rav Taḥalifa bar Shmuel taught: They taught that twenty-one verses must be read from the haftara only in a place where there is no translator; but in a place where there is a translator, one may stop even before that.

In other words, don’t be a burden on the community!

This is such an important passage for those of us who create services. What is required? What can we not do without? When is the service too long? When are we over burdening the community?

And, while the rabbis thought of the need to eat and prepare foods – what are the other obligations our congregants have? What else is on their minds? What do they need to do before services to be fully present? After?

What does a service look like today that connects us to God and one another without over burdening the congregation?

We all know that, in the story of Haman and Mordecai, Moredecai upsets Haman when he refuses to bow down. On today’s daf, Rav does not bow down during the reciting of the tachanun prayer (where it was traditional to bow down). The Gemara wonders: why? Then we get some explanations as well as descriptions of different kinds of bowing practices. All which make me wonder about the Jewish fascination with yoga (or maybe even Cirque du Soleil).

Rav once happened to come to Babylonia on a public fast. . . Everyone else fell on their faces, i.e., bowed down on the floor, during the taḥanun supplication, as was the custom, but Rav did not fall on his face. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that Rav did not fall on his face?

The Gemara answers: It was a stone floor, and it was taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “Nor shall you install any figured stone in your land, to bow down upon it” (Leviticus 26:1), that, upon it, i.e., any type of figured stone, you shall not bow down in your land, i.e., anywhere in your land other than in the Temple; but you shall bow down upon the stones of the Temple. This is in accordance with the opinion of Ulla, as Ulla said: The Torah prohibited bowing down only upon a stone floor.

Okay! So, he didn’t want to commit idolatry, so no bowing down.

The Gemara asks: If so, why was it specifically Rav who did not bow down? All of the other people present were also prohibited from bowing down on the stone floor. The Gemara answers: The stone section of the floor was only in front of Rav, as the rest of the floor was not paved. (Carpet? Dirt? Either way, okay to prostrate.)

So we see why he did not bow. The Gemara wonders why he did not just move to where the congregation was: The Gemara responds: He did not want to trouble the congregation to make room for him, or stand up to honor him.

So, could he have just done a little blow instead of going completely prostrate? And this is in accordance with the opinion of Ulla, as Ulla said: The Torah prohibited bowing down upon a stone floor only when it is done with outstretched arms and legs. The Gemara challenges this response: Rav should have fallen on his face without stretching out his arms and legs. The Gemara answers: He did not want to change his usual custom of full prostration, and where he was standing he could not fully prostrate himself in his usual manner because there the floor was of stone.

So, now we get the kinds of bows:

Apropos Rav’s practice of prostrating himself, the Gemara continues with a discussion of different forms of bowing. The Sages taught in a baraita: The term kidda indicates falling upon one’s face, with one’s face toward the ground, as it is stated: “Then Bathsheba bowed [vatikod] with her face to the ground” (I Kings 1:31). Keria means bowing upon one’s knees, as it is stated with regard to Solomon: He finished praying and “he rose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling [mikkeroa] upon his knees” (I Kings 8:54). Finally, hishtaḥava’a, that is bowing with one’s arms and legs spread in total submission, as it is stated that Jacob asked, in response to Joseph’s dream: “Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down [lehishtaḥavot] to you to the ground?” (Genesis 37:10).

And now we get a contortionist story:

The Gemara relates that Levi once demonstrated the form of kidda that was performed by the High Priest before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. This bowing was especially difficult, as it involved bending from the waist until his head reached the ground, supporting his body with his thumbs, and then rising at once. In the course of his demonstration, Levi dislocated his hip and became lame.

Yep. Don’t try that move at home dear readers. Levi, showing off, dislocated his leg and could not walk as a result.

The moral of the story? Well, the juxtaposition of Rav not bowing when everyone else did (not giving in to pressure) and Levi breaking himself trying to show off makes me think that a good lesson is to worry less about what others think and worry more about what the right thing to do is.

And, that I, like Levi, should stretch more.

One of the first things I learned when getting my education degree, is that, when working with children, it is important to squat to their level when speaking to them. For example, squatting down so your eyes are at eye-level with the toddler you are asking to stop throwing things.

But this goes so much further than just working with toddlers.

When we are learning from and with someone, we want to know that they can see things from our perspective. We want to know that they respect us as learners. We want to know that they see us. So much of this is easily conveyed through body language.

Today’s daf discusses how we stand when we read Torah our of deference to the text as well as our connection to Sinai as we all stood around the mountain. But when we read Torah, we read only 10 verses (on normal weekdays) – a very short passage. But what do we do on Purim when we read the entire Megillah? That’s significantly longer. Do we stand or sit? And, what does this teach us about how we should teach others?

We learned in the mishna that one may read the Megilla while sitting. It was taught in a baraita: This is not the case with regard to reading the Torah, as one must stand when reading the Torah. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rabbi Abbahu said: It is as the verse states: “But as for you, stand here with Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments and the statutes” (Deuteronomy 5:28), which indicates that the Torah must be received while standing. And Rabbi Abbahu said: Were the verse not written in this manner, it would be impossible to utter it, in deference to God. The phrase “with Me” indicates that, as it were, even the Holy One, Blessed be He, was standing at the giving of the Torah.

So far we have learned that the Talmud limits the mishnah’s rule that one can read while sitting to the Megillah to just applying to the Megillah. When we read Torah, we have to stand. Rabbi Abbahu derives this from the verse where God tells Moses to “stand here with Me”. Moses is the student, learning Torah directly from God. We learn that Moses is supposed to stand – but what about his teacher? Rabbi Abbahu goes on to say that the verse may even imply that God is also standing, for it uses the word “with me.” The Gemara continues:

And Rabbi Abbahu also said: From where is it derived that the teacher should not sit on a couch and teach his disciple while he is sitting on the ground? It is as it is stated: “But as for you, stand here with Me,” which indicates that the teacher and his disciples should be in the same position.

We learn from this beautiful verse about God teaching Moses receiving Torah being juxtaposed to the fact that we can read Megillah while seated an important lesson in education: A teacher should not sit on a couch and teach his students who are sitting on the ground. Rather both should be on the couch or both on the ground. What does this mean? There should not be a hierarchical distinction between the student and teacher. In other words? Get to your students’ eye-level. It lets them know, I see you, I can see your perspective, I respect you, we are on this journey together.

Today’s daf consists of two Mishnayot and their explanations – all of which discuss that day mitzvot must happen during the day (each with a proof text that says “day” in it, proving the point). Not the most riveting of readings but practically very important. and a little gem for those of you sleeping in today:

“Although it is preferable to fulfill a particular day’s mitzva at the earliest possible hour, the entire day is a valid.”

So, take your time, but get in your day time to-do’s before the sun goes down.

Happy New Year.